WorkLifeBalance
by stephumz
Summary: BxG spin from 'S2: Jump' events...lots of fluff...
1. Jumping

I – _'Jumping'_

Stepping outside of the house with an air of confidence, Betty knew what she had to do and how she was going to achieve it. With her luggage trailing behind her, she walked to the taxi waiting in the street. After putting her suitcase in the trunk of the car, she made herself comfortable in the back seat and handed the driver a piece of paper with a scrawled address.

As the taxi took off from the curb, she turned around and waved a final goodbye to her family, who were standing in the street watching her leave. Once she couldn't see them anymore, she turned back around and started thinking about the direction her life was now heading. With thoughts and ideas filling her head, a large smile grew across Betty's face as she was transported into her fantasy land.

"Uhh…Miss? Excuse me miss, your phone is ringing…" And with that comment, Betty was abruptly pulled from her reverie by the cabbie informing her that her mobile was ringing. She couldn't believe she was so lost in her daydreaming, she didn't even hear her phone, nor it's vibrations. As she rummaged through her shoulder bag looking for the phone, it had just stopped ringing as she brought it up to eye line view. Looking at the screen, she checked the missed call and dismissed it by putting the phone back into her bag. Before slipping back into her thoughts, she asked the driver how far till they reach her destination; he replied, "Only a couple of blocks Miss." And with that comment, Betty was again grinning from ear to ear. She couldn't believe she had finally made her choice and jumped…


	2. The Start of Something Big

II – _'The start of something big'_

The taxi pulled up to the curb and the driver turned around, "Here we are…Do you need a hand with your luggage?" Betty was too busy staring out the window to hear the driver, so he repeated himself. "Do you need a hand with your luggage Miss?" Betty heard him this time and replied to him whilst her gaze was still fixated on the person outside. "Oh ah, no no no, I'll be right thank you; I've got someone waiting for me outside". And with that comment she flung the door open and tried pulling her hand luggage and small suitcase out of the door at the same time as herself. During her attempt, Betty was about to go face first into the gutter, but was caught just in time by a pair of strong and capable hands. After finally standing up straight, gathering her luggage on the ground beside her, fixing her hair and pushing her glasses up her nose, Betty looked at the man in front of her and gave a huge welcoming hug and said, "We're here Gio, we're really here!"

Gio embraced Betty with all his might and they stood on the pavement for a few moments just enjoying each other's comforting holds. As they pulled apart, they looked into each other's eyes and were about to kiss when an 'excuse me' cough came from the cab driver. Betty and Gio snapped out of their love trance and looked at the driver. "Ohh, I'm so sorry. I so totally forgot!" Betty said to the driver as she was getting some notes out of her wallet. She handed over the fare whilst rambling "I was so excited to see my boyfriend that I forgot to pay you!" The cabbie signaled his departure with kind words to the love birds and was on his way.

This left Betty and Gio standing on the pavement surrounded by luggage. Gio motioned for them to go upstairs by grabbing the handle of the largest suitcase. This prompted Betty to adjust her shoulder bag and grab the handle of the smaller case. With that, they both made their way into the lobby of the apartment building. Following Gio, they soon arrived at the front door to their apartment. Betty's mind was brimming with thoughts about _their_ apartment, she couldn't believe it; they actually had their own apartment and were going to start a life together, starting with the exploratory phase.

Gio released the luggage handle and quickly spun around to face Betty, startling her. He too was just as excited about this new adventure they were both about to endeavor together. 'Hmm…together', Gio liked the sound of that. "Are you ready Betty? All you have to do is say yes!" They both chuckled, and Betty couldn't stop grinning. Gio took that as a yes, so he turned around and was about to put the key into the door when Betty wrapped her arms around his chest and leaned into him. Resting her cheek on his shoulder blades, she closed her eyes and hummed enjoying the cuddle. Gio was a little surprised but acted quickly and moved his free hand to cup her clasped hands around his chest. They paused for a minute to savor the moment; Betty continued to sigh deeply with content whilst Gio sighed with a hint of sexual frustration. All of a sudden, Gio let go of the key in the door and swiftly spun around to face Betty. As they stood there, face to face, both with a hunger burning in their eyes, Gio leant in to kiss Betty but before he was able to taste her lips, he felt her grab his biceps and was unexpectedly pushed up against the door and pinned by the force of Betty's mouth planting a lustful but longing kiss.

Whilst returning the kiss with just as much force, Gio managed to snake his arm around Betty to hold on to her whilst he turned the key to the apartment with his other hand to let them in. Feeling the slight fall backwards as the door opened and the sweeping across the threshold, Betty let a little scream out in her throat but was silenced with Gio's reassuring and ongoing kiss. Still holding onto Betty, Gio managed to maneuver their way inside the apartment, shutting the door and this time pinning her against it. Betty moved her hands up and down his arms finally resting them around his neck. This allowed them both to deepen the kiss that neither of them wanted to end. As their kiss heightened there was a knock at the door. Each let out their own little moan and groans before parting their lips, but instead of completely separating, they kept their heads joined together at the forehead, just looking longingly into each other eyes. The knock at the door sounded again and this time a voice accompanied it saying, "I'm sorry to disturb, I'm your next door neighbor and just wanted to remind you that your bags are still in the corridor." With that statement, Betty's eyes widened and she said half screaming, "GIO!! We forgot my luggage!" She then slightly pushed Gio out of the way and flung the door wide open.

The neighbor was still standing there and Betty greeted the older lady. "Hi, I'm Betty and this is my boyfriend Gio, we've just moved in today" The lady replied, "Lovely to finally meet you Betty. Gio has not stopped talking about you since he's been setting up the apartment. Well I'll be off now, I just wanted to greet you when you arrived and since you left your bags outside, I thought it would be perfect to introduce myself. My name's Sheryl and I live two doors down the hall. We'll catch up properly when you're better settled. Bye for now". "Ok, nice meeting you" Betty said loudly as Sheryl walked off and down the staircase.

Betty then turned around and actually looked inside the apartment for the first time. Gio was standing just inside the door and moved a little to the side so that she could see what he had done to the place. She was gob-smacked when she saw the living area filled with furniture in place and boxes ready to be unpacked. She then turned to Gio and enveloped him in a big hug. Gio held onto Betty as he lifted her off her feet and spun her around. "Ohh Gio, this is amazing. You've been here the whole time setting our apartment up. It's amazing." "Surprise!" Gio exclaimed. "I wanted to surprise you, but you got me first when you slammed me up against the door!" They both chuckled; Betty tried to hide her face as she went a slight shade of red. Gio rested his hand on her face and tilted it so that he could look into her face. He said to her, "I like that side of you Suarez! Don't be shy about anything around me, ok? 'Just be', remember?!" And with that, he planted a tender kiss on her lips before pulling away and talking about the apartment. "So, I only put the furniture in place, we can always move it around, but I just had to get it in here and the boxes, well we can empty those as we go along. There's no rush, right?" Looking at Betty with a cheeky grin and waggling his eyebrows at her, she bashfully replied, "Exactly, the exploratory phase is only the first step of many. But first, we have to bring my suitcases in!"

Gio made his way outside the doorway to grab the largest suitcase, whilst Betty followed, picking up her bag and smaller suitcase. "Ladies first B" Gio said grinning from ear to ear, motioning her through the doorway and into the flat; Gio followed Betty and closed the door behind him. Both of them walked to the centre of the apartment and put the bags on the floor. Betty stood where she was and turned around in circle soaking in her new living environment. The content look on Betty's face made Gio's heart smile. When Betty finally faced Gio, she took a step toward him, put her arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest. Gio automatically wrapped his arms around her shoulders and planted a kiss on the top of her head before resting his head on top of hers. This was only the beginning…


	3. New Beginnings

III – _'New Beginnings'_

Soon enough Betty's stomach growled. She tried hiding it with a slight cough before Gio noticed, but it was too late. He smiled and gave a small chuckle while rubbing Betty's arm up and down. He pulled away and said, "Let me organize some lunch for us and then we'll start unpacking. Go and have a look around in the mean time and we'll sit down in a few minutes." Betty nodded, grabbed her shoulder bag and turned on her heel towards the bedroom.

Betty stood in the centre of the bedroom for a few moments just looking around. 'I don't believe we're actually here, in our own place', she thought to herself. With that thought and the giant grin on her face, she put her bag down on the bed, rummaged through it grabbing a couple of things from it and headed into the en suite. A few minutes later she emerged from the bathroom. After taking one more glance, she couldn't help herself but to flop down onto the bed and just lie there for a moment staring up at the ceiling. "Hey B! You coming'? Food's ready!" "Coming" Betty replied as she sat up on the edge of the bed settling her hair back down.

As she entered the living area, Gio looked up, noticed that her smile was still plastered to her face and questioned, "Whatcha thinking about?" Betty replied, "Well, you've prepared a beautiful smelling lunch, we're actually here and this is truly our place. Gio, this is OUR PLACE! Aren't you excited?" Walking towards Betty, Gio says, "Of course I am! This is going to be an exciting time in our lives Betty. We've got our plans and we've got each other." Stretching out his arms, he gave Betty a warm cuddle with a slight sway, then said, "Come on, mustn't keep the food waiting plus we've got heaps to do before we can go to sleep tonight."

Dropping his hands down her sides and grabbing one of her hands, Gio led Betty to the makeshift dining area where he set up the food he prepared. Pulling out the chair for Betty to sit on before pushing it closer to the cardboard box they used as a table because their dining table had boxes stacked on top of it for the moment. Betty couldn't help but smile and watch Gio as he made himself comfortable also. Holding up her plastic cup filled with juice, Betty toasted, "To us", and Gio added "For eternity and a day". Betty rolled her eyes and blushed slightly, took a sip of her drink and started eating. Neither said a word as they were both absorbed in their own thoughts about how the apartment was going to be set up and what the future held for them.

Gio started clearing the table when Betty brushed his hand and said, "That was a beautiful meal, thank you". Gio smiled and said with a wink, "No worries B. I'm going to take good care of you". While Gio cleaned the few dishes they used, Betty walked over to the main living area and looked at the surrounding boxes. "Where do we start?" Gio replied, "Pick any one; they all have to be emptied at some point. Actually, I have an idea, why don't you organize the bedroom while I arrange the kitchen and dining. Then we'll decorate the living area together?" Betty agreed and with a big smile, she was on her way to the bedroom.

Quite a few hours later, Betty joined Gio on the couch in the living area. Betty leaned into Gio, he put his arm around her and pulled her close. "Gio, this is our place." He laughed softly and answered, "Yes B, and we're going to make this not just our place, but our wonderful home…until of course we need a bigger home for when we start a family." Betty stared into Gio's eyes shocked and questioned unbelievingly, "You want to have a family with me?!" "Of course I do Suarez – you are _the one_ that I want to settle down and have a family with one day…" After hearing those words, Betty felt so overwhelmed with adoration that she pushed Gio back and spread herself over him kissing him ferociously. Gio returned the kiss with just as much passion. Finally coming up for air, Gio teased Betty with, "I definitely felt your tongue that time! But we'll continue this later on, we've still got the lounge room to set up. We'll finish here, then get ready for bed."

After setting up the lounge, Betty and Gio looked at each other and then admired the cozy environment they had just created. They had actually agreed on everything whilst decorating which made the process a lot easier.

Gio put his arms out signaling for Betty to join him. She made her way over to him and slipped comfortably into his strong embrace. Whilst leaning into one another, they gazed into each other's eyes; slowly their lips met half way. Their delicate pecks slowly became a gentle massage of tongues. Gio's hands made their way underneath Betty's shirt and started to lightly caress the small of her back. Betty moved her arms so they were resting on Gio's shoulders and starting running her fingers over his scalp and through his shortened hair, which was starting to grow out. Letting her nails graze slightly, Gio moaned and pulled Betty even closer to him so that she could feel his growing arousal. Upon noticing the bulge against her thigh, Betty pulled away, grabbed Gio's hand and dragged him to the bedroom.

Following Betty into the room, Gio was immediately impressed with the effort she put in to setting up their bedroom. Walking toward the bed, Betty let go of Gio's hand and dropped herself onto the edge of the bed. Sitting there, she eagerly watched his expression for his thoughts on her decorating skills. After admiring the room, Gio turned to look down at Betty and said, "I'm lost for words! You have really out done yourself B!" Betty simply said "Come here you" whilst lunging to grab his belt buckle and pulling him forward. Now standing in front of Betty, he cupped her face, tilted it back slightly and leant down kissing her softly, planting kisses along her jaw line, down her neck and heading for her chest, he slowly shifted his weight and started to move on top of her making her move further up the mattress.

When they were both in the centre of the bed, Gio pulled away from Betty and rolled over to one side, propping himself up on one of his elbows. He looked down at Betty and smiled. She looked up at him and started to stroke his face. All Gio could think was that he was the luckiest man on Earth. There, he was lying on the same bed with the most wonderful girl, about to share the same bed and living quarters for the rest of their lives – that's his plan anyway. Betty's face was filled with so much happiness, she felt that her face was going to stretch out of proportion if she didn't descend from cloud nine soon – but she couldn't. She loved this feeling of satisfaction and happiness. She was in the only place she needed to be and only ever wanted to be…with Gio.

Raising her other hand, she cupped the other side of Gio's face and brought it down to meet with hers. Enjoying the quick smooches, but wanting more, she started to tease by lightly nibbling on his bottom lip. This left Gio groaning with pleasure and wanting more. He pulled away, looked Betty in the eyes and said, "You're a tease Suarez! If you keep teasing like that, I'm going to give you the same treatment, but leave you begging for more!" With a wink and smirk, he quickly started to kiss his way down her neck, leading to her chest – undoing the buttons to reveal more of her bust. When he finally had her blouse fully unbuttoned, he gazed down in awe. Betty felt a little awkward and went to cover herself up. "Tut tut tut…leave it…I'm just admiring how beautiful you are B" said Gio, calming Betty instantly, before continuing his kissing quest down her stomach.

Giggling and squirming made it a tad difficult for Gio to make the mood romantic, but he persisted. Betty finally stopped thinking about the situation and got into the groove of things – this startled Gio as she sat up enough to pull him forward by the collar of his shirt. As he was holding himself above her, she managed to flip him over and straddle him. "Ooh, I like where this is heading…" Gio said with a raised eyebrow. Betty couldn't help herself but smile greatly and roll her eyes. She started unbuttoning his shirt. When she had finally undone his shirt, she pulled it open with a bit of force to reveal Gio's full chest. Betty took in a sharp breath. "Will you be making a purchase today or are you just browsing Ms Suarez?" "Oh, I've already made my purchase; I've just brought the package home and am unwrapping it!", "Nice one Betty". Still looking in awe at Gio's toned chest, Betty remarked, "Touché pickle boy, touché!" With that comment, she bit her bottom lip, groaned with pleasure and started leaving butterfly kisses all over his chest, eventually kissing her way down to his jeans belt buckle. She kissed the bit of skin just above the buckle, and gently blew over the area yanking Gio from his reverie. He lifted his head off the pillow to stare Betty in the eyes. As they locked eyes, Betty grabbed the belt and started to pry it open, finally releasing it, revealing the buttons on his fly. She popped each one open, one by one, finally liberating Gio's erection from the imprisonment of his pants.

Gio couldn't handle it any longer; he grabbed Betty and flipped her on the mattress. Discarding his jeans and shirt, he started to do the same with Betty's clothes. Tugging at her open blouse, he helped her wriggle out of it, leaving her in her bra. Kissing her with all his might, he leaned her back gently onto the mattress, managing to undo her bra with one free hand. Throwing it aside, he started to kiss every part of her naked skin that he could. Wanting to devour her, he made a bee line for her pants. As he started to unzip them, Betty ran her fingers over his head. Gio paused for a moment, enjoying the relaxing sensation she was creating, this made him want her even more. Finally, unzipping her pants with some force, he yanked the jeans off their owner's legs, revealing a pair of satin underwear. "Woah B! What's going on here? This is what I love about you, so unpredictable!" This made Betty blush again but Gio couldn't help himself, he lunged forward, covering Betty's body with his whilst he attached his lips to hers. Holding himself over her, she grabbed hold of his arms and squeezed them slightly. She could hear and feel Gio moan in her mouth but didn't realize that she was moaning also from the passion that was being created between them.

'_Put it in, put it in, put it in…WORK!'_ Betty's phone started ringing interrupting the imminent moment. Both Betty and Gio growled from the annoyance. "Do you have to get that?" Gio asked, knowing that Betty never misses a call to her cell. "It's not important right now, voicemail can get it…besides, I want you to put it in, put it in, put it in…" Betty said in a sing songy voice. Gio chuckled whilst nuzzling in her neck, then said huskily into her ear, "Anything for my eater". He planted a kiss on her lips and slid gently inside of her. They made love all night for the first time.


	4. The Explorers

IV – _'The Explorers'_

Waking up with the sun shining in her face, Betty opened her eyes and felt comfort instantly. She realized she was in Gio's arms and facing him. He was sound asleep, so Betty just looked at him whilst she could without him noticing. Absorbing in every detail of his face, she closed her eyes and replayed the events of the previous night; she couldn't help but smile from ear to ear.

"Whatcha thinking about explorer?" Gio said, startling Betty. She looked down at him and noticed that his eyes weren't yet open, so he must have got a glance of her when she closed her eyes for a second. Seizing the moment, Betty swooped down and kissed Gio longingly. "Mmm, I was thinking similar thoughts too…" Gio said as he pulled her in closer for a cuddle. Betty wrapped her arms around Gio and pulled into him too. "Thank you for last night G, it couldn't have been better" Betty said whilst rubbing his back. "Ohh, there's plenty more where that came from and it'll get better – that was only the icing Suarez!" Lying there together, enjoying the embrace and morning sun warm their room, they didn't want to move, until they heard each other's stomach's growl.

"Time for breakfast eh? We should be getting up soon anyway. We've gotta get ready for work." Betty agreed, heading off to the bathroom to take a shower whilst Gio prepared breakfast in the kitchen. "Perfect timing B! Pancakes - Rossi style!" Gio said as he was laying out a plate with a very tall stack and a mixture of condiments along with a pot of coffee. "You start eating; I'll jump in the shower and join you in five minutes." Betty nodded and started to make her coffee whilst getting her bag ready. She thought it would be better to wait for Gio and then they could have breakfast together – like a normal couple. She was ready to take that step and be a couple in public; 'explorers' that everyone knew about, with no more sneaking around and being embarrassed. She deserved to be happy after the Henry fiasco and Gio ought to have a chance for a proper relationship. He is _'the guy'_ after all.

Betty was too busy checking appointments in her BlackBerry that she didn't notice Gio sneak up behind her. Grabbing her from behind, he squeezed her tight and rested his head on her shoulder. "Whatcha doing?" "Oh nothing, just checking Daniel's schedule for the day, organizing our life…" "Organizing our life? What do you mean?" "Gio, I want us to be a proper couple. I want everyone to know that we're together." "Ahh, B, I think everyone will know that by now, seeing as we've moved in together…and I think the neighbors definitely know!" Betty blushed and Gio moved around to face her and kissed her cheek. "Don't be embarrassed B, you were amazing, I can't wait for next time!" He said winking as he walked over to the table. He sat down and started on his pancakes. "Why isn't my Eater eating? Don't like my pancakes?!" "Do you have to call me Eater?"Betty said as she also sat down. "It's our _'thing'_; couples have _'things'_". "Yeah well couples eat breakfast together too!" Betty retorted back. Gio put down his cutlery and reached across the table to grab one of Betty's hands. "Sorry babe, I just didn't want us to be late, but from now on, we'll eat breakfast together. Ok?" "Thanks Gio. It means a lot to me. _You mean a lot to me_. And your pancakes are divine!"

They finished their breakfast and put the dishes in the sink to be washed. After collecting her belongings, Betty met Gio at the door, took his hand, and they left the apartment together, heading for the basement car park where the deli van was parked.

Today was their first day as a proper couple and Betty couldn't wait to tell the world. The first thing she was going to do was put a picture of them as her wallpaper on her computer at MODE.


	5. Back to Business

V – _'Back to business'_

Gio pulled up outside his deli, located just outside the lobby to the Meade building. Putting the car into park and turning off the engine, he jumped out and ran round to open Betty's door. It was quite an effort to beat Betty to it, but well worth it when he saw the smile that he fell in love with a year ago. Helping her out of the van and onto the pavement saw Gio rewarded with a quick and gentle kiss, it was long enough to enjoy though. "Mmm…" Gio said savoring the kiss, "You know I'm going to be opening doors for you, for the rest of our lives?!" "Uh huh – that's what I love about you G!" Betty said as she headed towards the lobby leaving Gio on the sidewalk. He crossed his arms, leant against the door of his van and bit his bottom lip just watching her walk off. 'Damn, that girl sure is something else,' he thought to himself.

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"Ohh, heeyy! Welcome back Betty!" Daniel said as he walked toward his office. "It's great to finally have you back. Sorry about the amount of work on your desk, Amanda got absolutely nothing done whilst you were gone. Take your time with it though." "Ahh, Daniel, what work? The few files that had to be filed? Don't worry about those, they're already taken care of. However, your coffee and bagel are waiting for you on your desk and your 9.30 appointment has been rescheduled for tomorrow 9.30 and you've got a call on line one." Betty finished her rapid spiel and kept looking at Daniel. He just looked at her quizzically and questioned, "You're not wearing any strange perfumes are you?" "No Daniel! Don't be silly, I'm not high on anything, only in luurve…" Betty said slumping and tilting her head to one side with a love struck look on her face. Daniel scrunched up his face, shook his head and continued into his office.

Betty was in a really good mood this morning. There was an extra spring in her step. She knew she was on cloud nine and wasn't going to be returning for quite awhile. Gazing at her computer screen and the flashing cursor, Betty became mesmerized and her thoughts carried her away to 25 Teddy Bear Lane, where there was a white horse carriage awaiting her. Holding out his hand for her to grasp, Gio helped Betty on to the carriage. 'I'm here to take you away my love. We're going somewhere where we can both be; Rossi-Suarez Land. Together, we'll make our fantasies become our realities...' _'Put it in, put it in, put it in…WORK!'_ "Damn you phone!" Betty cursed as she grabbed her cell. "Betty Suarez speaking…"

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"Whose cheesy balls are you picking up later Betty?" charmed Amanda. "It's this special cheese that Gio would love to use in his deli, but he can't get it imported because of some customs thing…so I found, well actually Daniel knows this guy that uses it at his restaurant, so I asked him if he could get me some for Gio – he will absolutely die when he finds out that I've got this cheese for him! Squee! Not that it's any of your business Amanda! What are you doing listening to my phone calls anyway?" Betty questioned as she pushed her glasses up her nose and settled back down. "Well, I came by to give you this message" Amanda said, sticking the orange post it note on Betty's forehead before twirling on her foot and swinging her hips as she sauntered away. Not thinking of removing the note to look at it, Betty twisted and turned her head trying to read the note. Daniel saw this and quickly ran to her aid, pulling the note off her head and handing it to her. "Are you sure you're not _love sick_ Betty?" "Love sick? Nooo! How could I be sick of _Gio love_? I just can't get enough! That's the problem. Ohh Daniel this feeling is so great…" Betty took a deep sigh and then turned the note over to read it. _'Lunch? Come to the deli'_ was all that it read. "Ooh, gotta go Daniel, I'll be back soon. Do you want lunch from the deli?" Betty said as she gathered her bag, but before Daniel could answer, "Yeah ok, sure, I'll bring back the usual…byeeeeee" and with that Betty practically flew through the office towards the elevator lobby. Pressing the button frantically for the next lift, naughty thoughts started running through her head creating a gigantic smile on her face and a faint pink tinge in her cheeks.

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As the bell above the door rang, Gio looked up to see a flurry of color burst in through the door. Pulling off his apron whilst walking out from behind the counter, he pulled Betty into a crushing bear hug and said "B, I've missed you so much! Glad you could make it. I was hoping you didn't have much work to do so you could escape for a little bit." Pulling out of the hug, Betty answered, "Anything to see my pickle napkin man! Besides, I wasn't being very productive; however, my imagination was working overtime!" "Oh really? Anything you care to share with me?" "Not in front of the customers Gio!! I'll surprise you one night though!" "Ahh, it's like that, is it Suarez? Interesting…I can't wait." "So, what's for lunch? I'm hungry and if I don't eat soon, I'm going to have to eat you alive!" "That'll have to wait for one night too!" Gio said winking at Betty whose jaw had dropped at the comment and was now turning a shade of red. "Loosen up B, I thought you didn't want to be embarrassed anymore?!" "Yeah, well, me being open about those sort of things in public might take a little while getting used to, that's all." "Ok, no problem babe, if you're uncomfortable with it, that's fine, we'll get there when you're ready…one step at a time, remember? I'm right beside you and never leaving," said Gio with a big smile and hugging Betty. She then went and sat down at a table and waited for her sandwiches.

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Walking out of there with 2 sandwiches in her clutch, Betty bid her farewell to Gio and said that she'll meet him after work at the deli. She made her way back up to MODE and sat at her desk. Daniel came out to collect his sandwich and noticed that Betty was still floating on air. "So, are you guys coming out into the open about everything?" Daniel asked. "Yeop" Betty said with a mouth full of bread. "We're a couple and we're in love" she said defiantly and a little bit excited, so much so, the nearby workers looked up from their desks in her direction. "That's great Betty. I'm really happy for the both of you. Especially you, you're really something special and I'm so glad you realized that Gio is the one for you. I knew from the day of mum's court case that he was the one for you. There's just something about him, and you for that matter. I think you guys are going to make it! All the way too! Congrats again Betty." Daniel said giving her his two thumbs up and cheesy smile before grabbing his sandwich and heading back to his office. Betty smiled the best she could without showing off the contents of her mouth.

Daniel's comments reverberated through Betty's mind for the rest of the day. She knew she was the luckiest girl to have a guy like Gio and was glad that everyone could see the effect it was having on her. Thankfully, the day was flying by and she couldn't wait to get back to the apartment and spend the night with Gio.

She was on her last phone call for the day, booking a venue for an upcoming MODE publicity stunt. As she going over the details one last time, Gio crept up to her desk and planted himself on the edge of her desk. Sitting there overhearing every detail of the booking, he noticed that she was twirling her hair around her pencil. It was coming up soon, he just knew it, he waited and there it was, he mouthed at the same time, "S-U-A-R-E-Z" accentuating the ZEE. "Thank you, bubbye." She hung up the phone and swiveled in her chair. Shocked to find him sitting on her desk, she grabbed her chest and breathed, "GIO, you scared me! How long have you been sitting there?" "Long enough to want to hear you say R-O-S-S-I" He chuckled and smiled at her. "Well Mr Rossi, all in good time. Let's get out of here!" Betty packed her bag, shut down her computer and put her hand inside Gio's when he held out his hand to grab hers. They walked hand in hand to the van and drove home.


	6. Opportunity Knocks

VI – _'Opportunity Knocks'_

Days and weeks passed by with Betty and Gio just going about life, working and living - together. This was a major adjustment for both of them. Neither of them had had roommates other than their family and siblings, so both were in new territory but exploring it together.

Waking up with his face buried in Betty's hair, Gio smiled and inhaled her scent. 'Mmm, she smells so good, no matter what time of the day' he thought to himself, however, his sniffing didn't go unnoticed. "Are you hinting that I need a shower?" Betty said, startling him by speaking him and asking such a comment. "Hells no B! Don't be silly! I was actually thinking to myself that you smell great anytime of the day." "Ohh, ok…thanks Gio," Betty felt very small at this point, but relaxed when Gio wrapped his arms around her waist, pulled her closer to his chest and rested his head in the crook of her neck. She held onto his hands and squeezed them with reassurance also. "Mmm…can we stay like this all day?" Gio murmured into her neck, not wanting to leave the warmth and comfort of their bed. "We don't have to go to work today, we can just stay home together…I'm sure there's plenty of things we could do!" he said suggestively raising his one of his eyebrows. "Are you kidding Gio? I have to go to work and I think you should too. I've got a really good feeling about today." "B, you say that every day! Ugh…fine…you get ready and I'll prepare breakfast" Gio said as he was sliding out of bed. "No!" Betty said sitting up and pulling on his shoulder and then slamming her hand against Gio's bare chest, pushing him back on to the bed. "Ooh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean for it to be so…forceful…" Cheekily he replied, "Don't be sorry; but please – continue!" "Not now Gio! I'm going to make us breakfast for a change and you can get ready!" Not arguing, he jumped out of bed, Gio headed off to the bathroom while Betty put on the nearest clothes that she could find and walked off to the kitchen.

----

"Talk about yummy mummy!" "What are you talking about Gio?" "Well, look at you!" he said as he made his way to the dining table. Sitting down, he made himself comfortable and continued, "Standing there in _our_ kitchen, making _our_ breakfast and in _my_ shirt – and only in my shirt! Wow! You just keep surprising me B. So what's for breakfast sweetie?" Betty made her way to the table with a plate full of bacon rashers, poached eggs and toast. While she was putting the plates down, Gio just looked at her with awe. As soon as she placed the last plate on the table, he grabbed her arm and pulled her onto his lap. Cuddling her, she put her arms around his neck and he kissed her softly. She slowly then pulled herself away and sat herself down on the chair opposite. "Let's eat!" Betty said excitedly. Once they had finished, she started collecting the dishes for washing, but Gio interrupted her by planting a kiss on her cheek. "Thanks for breakfast B. It was scrumptious – just like you. Let me clean up, so you can get ready for work." "Ohh, thanks sweetie" Betty said before heading towards to the bedroom.

Gio waited for Betty in the lounge room. Occupying himself by watching the early edition of FashionTV, he was able to get the latest news and gossip. Betty finally emerged from the bedroom, couldn't believe her eyes and asked, "What are you doing?!" "Taking an interest in your industry. It's the least I could do; you're interested in my industry, seeing as you like to eat!" Gio laughed hard, but his shoulder was thumped harder by Betty. "Oww. I was joking around B, baby lighten up" "Yeah, well, I don't make fun of your industry!" "Oh yes you have! Remember you didn't like my pickle to begin with? But now you love _the pickle_!" said Gio, making the first sexual connotation of the day. Betty started replying but changed the topic quickly, "Yeah, well…never mind…let's go…I've still got a good feeling about today!" as she headed toward the front door.

Arriving at their location, they got out of the van, kissed their farewells and went to their separate places of business.

The day was passing before Betty's eyes. Soon enough, she was in the board room with the rest of the team planning the next issue of MODE. As Daniel was going around the room asking for everyone's ideas, he reached Betty, usually he only asks the creative team and journalists, but instead he assigned her a task. Betty was taking the minutes of the meeting but not really paying attention to what was being said, so when she was jotting everything down and saying out loud what she wrote, so after writing down her task and repeating it out loud, she stopped abruptly. "Whaaa? What? Excuse me Daniel?" "Betty, we'll discuss this later" is all that Daniel said and he continued on with the meeting.

Once the meeting concluded, Betty waited around to talk to Daniel once he finished talking to the creative team. "So Betty," Daniel said turning to face Betty, "I've been waiting for the ideal assignment to present itself for you to undertake. We need something covered for this issue and you're the perfect candidate. This is a chance for you to write something serious for the magazine, something to help you with your folio." "Oh Daniel, thank you so much" Betty said whilst hugging Daniel. "What's the project? Is it reviewing a restaurant? Interviewing an author? How long does it have to be?" "Betty, you're the writer, you decide everything about the article, however the topic is going to be about the crazy fashions which are starting to emerge on catwalks. You know the usual timeline as well. Good luck! Thanks Betty."

Betty turned on her heel and walked back to her desk with her clipboard held firmly against her chest. She sat down at her desk and screamed loudly on the inside. She couldn't believe it, she finally had the chance to write something; and not for any magazine, it was for MODE magazine! With so much excitement, she couldn't keep it to herself. She ran across the office floor and took the stairs to get to the lobby.

*BANG* Rushing to the door of the deli, Gio pulled it open and helped Betty off the footpath. "B, are you alright? You ran straight into my door, you do realize the handle needs to be turned right?!" Helping Betty into the nearest chair inside the deli and passing her a bottle of water, Gio sat down next to her. "What's happened babe, is everything ok?" "OK? Everything's fantastic! Gio, Daniel just gave me an assignment for the magazine! I get to write my first article for MODE!" "That's fantastic news Betty! I knew you would get that chance one day. So what are you going to be writing about?" And just as she was about to answer, the deli phone rang. Gio looked at the phone and then back at Betty, "Answer it Gio, it'll be important." "Thanks B. That's great news about you." He kissed her quickly and darted to the phone. "Good afternoon, Gio's Deli, Gio speaking…" A moment passed and Gio covered the speaker of the phone and called out to Betty, "Ahh, B, Sorry, but I've gotta take this call. We'll celebrate tonight though. See you here when you finish ok?" Feeling slightly dejected, she replied, "Sure, no problem, I should be getting back anyway." She went up to Gio, kissed his phone free cheek and left the deli.

Closing time at the deli and Betty still wasn't in the shop. Gio was becoming worried. He had phoned Betty a few times but she wasn't answering. Panic was setting in. He was hoping that the phone call earlier hadn't upset her. She had nothing to worry about. Grabbing a treat before locking up the shop and heading towards the lift, Gio made him way up to the MODE floor. Walking toward Betty's desk, he understood why she wasn't answering. She had her headphones plugged in and she was singing her heart out whilst typing madly. Creeping up behind her, Gio put his arms around Betty presenting a black and white cookie in front of her. Her face lit up and she turned around in her chair, yanking the headphones out from the monitor. The music started blaring but she quickly turned it down. "I tried calling you, but obviously you couldn't hear either of your phones!" Betty looked guilty and said "I was so excited about my article that I decided to start my research and jot down some ideas." "I thought so when you didn't turn up at the deli." "Omigod, is that the time already? Wow, time flies eh? Come on, let's get out of here."

Arriving back home, Betty put her bag down and changed out of her work clothes whilst Gio went straight to the kitchen to start dinner. Once comfortable, Betty pulled out her laptop and set it up on the dining table. Continuing her research and idea brainstorm, Gio asked her the questions he wanted to at the deli before the phone call. "So tell me about the article Suarez" "Well, Daniel said that I'm the writer so I can do what I want, but I have to write about the weird fashions which are starting to show up in the recent fashion shows." Gio thought to himself, he knew exactly why Daniel gave Betty that assignment and not another Modie. "They actually mentioned something about this _'phenomena', _that's what they called it, on FashionTV this morning. See, I have an interest in what you do Ms Suarez!" "HAHA very funny Gio. Thanks, I'll look it up; maybe they've got a vodcast or something on their site."

"Alright, dinner's about to be served…" That was Gio's signal for Betty to clear her computer away from the table. As they prepared themselves to eat, Betty quickly said "This dinner looks so delicious. Looks like you've outdone yourself Rossi, what's the occasion?" "Well I was going to tell you in a few moments, but I'll tell you now." As he was serving up the dishes to both plates, he reminded Betty of the late afternoon phone call that interrupted them. "So who was it" "It was _The Food Network_. They want to do a feature on the deli. They also mentioned that Mario Batali was interested in helping me expand my deli! They came by soon after the phone call to talk in person and to check out the deli, and well, there's a deal on the table but I told them that I have to think about and talk over it with my partner before settling." Betty was ecstatic, but had a puzzled look on her face, "Who's your partner?" "You silly! You're part of my five year plan just as much as the future condiment bar, so of course I want to talk about it with you. Y'know, get your thoughts and opinions. This will be a huge step and it needs to be right for it to work. I value you B." "Ohh Gio, of course I'll help you. I'm sure you would've made the best decision anyway, but I'm glad we're doing things together."

Betty stood up to clear the dishes and told Gio to relax on the couch; she would join him later once everything was cleaned. As he walked over to the lounge, Gio walked past Betty's should bag, and was distracted by a peculiar smell. He questioned Betty over it and she remembered. Rushing to her bag, she pulled out a pair of cheesy balls. Gio's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. His hands gravitated toward the cheese, just enough for them to be gently placed into his cupped palms. "Omigod Betty, where did you get this? Do you even know what this is?" "Yeah, it's your heaven from a cow! Daniel knows someone who imports it so I managed to get some for you." "Talk about things happening in threes, first you get your article, I get the opportunity to expand and you find my cheese! You're the best girlfriend in the world Betty Suarez."


	7. Exciting Times

VII – _'Exciting Times' _

"Come on Gio, we're going to be late! I told Papi we'd be there for dinner, not tomorrow's breakfast!!" Betty yelled. "If you keep smelling that cheese, there'll be nothing left of it! Don't worry; it'll still be here when we get back." On that note, Gio reluctantly wrapped the cheese back up in the cotton cloth and put it away in the pantry. Outstretching her hand, Betty said, "Come on now." Gio took hold of Betty's hand and they walked out of the apartment together.

The drive to Queens flew by. Before they knew it, they were parking the van outside Betty's family residence.

"Ooh, they're here" Justin screamed to Ignacio as he pulled away from the front window. "Aww, they look so cute together Papi. Look at that, such a gentleman, opening the door for Betty...Aww" Hilda said as Ignacio walked over to the window to see for himself.

The door bell rang, Hilda adjusted herself and stood in the middle of the lounge room, whilst Ignacio went back to check what was on the stove and Justin ran to the door. He flung the door wide open, "Aunt Betty! Gio! So nice to see you guys again. I've missed you guys so much" Justin said as he hugged Betty tightly. Eventually prying herself from Justin's grip, she walked over to Hilda and gave her a kiss on each cheek, leaving the last welcome hug for her father. Gio followed Betty, giving Justin a little nudge on his right shoulder, an open hug and a kiss on Hilda's cheek and a manly handshake with Ignacio.

Gathering in the lounge room, Betty stood next to Gio and he put his arm around her waist. Justin offered to be the entertainment until dinner was ready to be served. Ignacio returned to the kitchen to put the finishing touches on the meal he was preparing whilst Hilda, Betty and Gio made themselves comfortable on the couches to watch Justin. He performed a routine that he's been working on for an upcoming cast call; finishing just on cue as Ignacio called everyone to the table for dinner.

Offering a chair to Betty, Gio waited til she was seated before occupying the seat next to her. The smell of the food was captivating and Gio couldn't help but question the mysterious herb he couldn't place. "Oregano, chilli powder and something else I can't quite put my tongue on. If you don't mind me asking, what is it Ignacio?" Surprised by his acute palette, Ignacio simply said, "Love my son. When you love your cooking, you put your all into it and that creates a whole different taste. I'm sure you understand with your sandwiches. From what I hear, they are something else also." "Oh thanks Ignacio. We'll have you guys over for dinner also and then you can taste my proper cooking!" "Gio, that's a fantastic idea!" said Hilda. Betty agreed silently by placing her free hand on his thigh under the table. Gio turned to look at Betty and saw that she had a large smile on her face also; he couldn't help but smile as well.

Whilst eating, conversations were erupting every few minutes, so many topics, so many voices; it was hard to keep up with all the news. Finally Betty spoke up about their recent achievements. "I'm writing my first real article for MODE" she spilled out excitedly. "Whaaaaaat? Get out!" Hilda shrilled. "Oh my god Aunt Betty, that is amazing. So what are you writing about?" asked Justin. Betty removed her hand from Gio's thigh, which she had been gently moving her hand in circles on throughout the night, so she could speak with her hands. "Well, I've got to cover the upcoming crazy fashions on the runways. Y'know, the really extravagant ones and why there is so many all of a sudden." "Oh yeah, I've noticed that...but don't quite know myself, I'll definitely be reading your article to find out Aunt Betty." "That's excellent news Betty, I'm so proud of you" said Hilda. "Ooh mija you'll do great. Knock 'em dead sweetie!" This time is was Gio's turn to put his hand on Betty's lap. Her eyes widened and she quickly looked at him, a little embarrassed, but no one noticed because of the smile that was still on her face. "Gio's got great news too! Tell them babe" Betty said sharing the spotlight with him. "Ohh thanks B, but I'm sure they're more interested in your successes." "Don't be silly Gio, you're part of this family as anybody is, please tell us your news" prompted Ignacio. "Oh alright, when you put it like that. Well I was approached by The Food Network. They are running a review on the deli and also, Mario Batali is helping me out with expanding the business." "Oh my gawwwwd!!" Shrieked Hilda, "that is fantastic news Gio, how could you want to keep that from us?" "We actually only made the decision yesterday. We thought long and hard about it and agreed that it is the right time to do something, so we jumped" explained Gio. Right now, Betty couldn't be more proud of Gio. She knew he was everything she needed and wanted to complete her life, and right now, her family accepted him like he was their son.

"Ok, well let me clear the table and clean the kitchen so it's ready for dessert" said Ignacio standing up from his chair. "I'll help you out with the dishes" offered Gio. The others went to their rooms to hang out for a few minutes. Gio had his hands in the sink, while Ignacio was pottering around the kitchen, he finally spoke, and "I can't believe how much great news the two of you have had in a matter of weeks. It's fantastic. You make a great team." "Yeah I know, it's great news and we do make a great team, I appreciate Betty a lot" said Gio half turning around from the sink. "I can see that" Ignacio said looking at Gio, smiling smugly and raising his eyebrows. "Ahh, Ignacio..." "Yeah Gio..." "I love Betty. I want to spend the rest of my days with her and start a family..." Cutting him off, Ignacio answered, "YES GIO!!!! Even more exciting news to look forward to!" "So I can have her hand in marriage?" Gio questioned. "Of course! When you came round to fix the basin in Hilda's shop, I just knew there was something very special about you and Betty. I am so glad it has worked out for the two of you." Ignacio turned Gio all the way around and gave him a strong hug. "Ahh, I'd hug you back, but my hands are wet!" "That's alright. So when are you planning on asking her?" "I haven't planned that far ahead; I wanted to get your approval first." "Well now that you've got, start cracking!" Both men chuckled and the rest of the family walked into the kitchen. "What's all the noise about?" Justin enquired. "Oh you know, two grown men sharing a good laugh." Ignacio replied, not wanting to give anything away.

After having dessert with an evening drink, Gio saw Betty yawn and decided that they should head back home. Getting up and heading to the door, they said their goodbyes and Ignacio winked at Gio, luckily no one else saw. Gio was thankful for that. He wanted to give Betty the biggest surprise when the time was right to pop the question. Getting into the van, Gio started the engine and then felt Betty's hand on his lap. He looked down and then looked at Betty, who was smiling with a sleepy look on her face. "Go to sleep babe, we'll be home soon." Putting the gear into first, the van left the curb side and they were on their journey home.

The drive home was quiet, and Betty fell asleep with her head leaning against the window, her hand still attached to Gio's thigh. He glanced over every now and then to watch her angelic face. She looked so beautiful with the moonlight shining on her face perfectly.


	8. Patiently Waiting

VIII – _'Patiently waiting'_

Several months later and the love struck couple are still riding high together on cloud nine. Their five year plans have also kicked into gear. Gio has finally opened a second deli and Betty is now a permanent columnist for MODE magazine. If it wasn't for the supporting bond and passion they shared for one another and their endeavors, their dreams wouldn't be becoming a reality so soon.

Gio had Betty to thank for lots of things, but notably her honest opinions and patience. Long days and late nights were a common occurrence since the expansion of the business, thus, keeping him away from spending precious time with Betty. Invitations to renowned industry events also took up some of his time, he loved it when Betty could join him, but due to her own work commitments, could not always make them.

Betty knew she wanted to be a writer from young, but didn't have the motivation to chase after her dream - until she met Gio. Without him, she would still be _'just an assistant'_ to Daniel. Now, not only is she his assistant but also a writer for his magazine. Seizing the opportunity to pursue with her writing and ultimate goal of running her own magazine, she too spends long hours some nights, sitting at home in front of her notebook, typing away…but also waiting up for Gio. Neither could bear to sleep alone until the other was there.

----

Coming home one night, Gio checked his watch and then opened the door to the apartment. _"Damn, it's 2am…"_ Bleary eyed, he walks towards to the living area and stops to stare at the mound slumped over the notebook, seated at the dining table. Sighing deeply and shaking his head in disbelief, he walks over to the exhausted body, drapes one hand around the back of the it, grabbing hold underneath the arm, then cradles the legs with the other hand and he mutters sadly, "Ohh Betty…you know you don't have to wait up if you're sleepy..." Not expecting an answer, he adjusted her body in his arms and walked off to the bedroom. Upon reaching the bed, he gently lowers and covers her with the quilt half way. He then changes into his night pants and hops into the bed also, pulling the quilt up to cover both bodies. Once comfortable, Betty rolls over and snakes one arm over his stomach to snuggle, then says groggily, "Darling, I'll always wait for you…no matter…" Before she could finish her sentence, she was out like a light. Gio chuckled softly and inaudibly replied "I know B, as I would for you." Kissing her forehead, he too, turns in to face her and holds her tightly in his arms.

Not seeing each other properly for a couple of days, they didn't know each one's plans, so when they woke up the next morning, they were surprised to see that they had both slept in and the other person wasn't missing. "Don't you have work?...No, do you?!...Nah I don't…" Joy was filling the surrounding air very quickly as realization set in. "So…this is like our first day off, together?!" Gio questioned. "Yeah it is. Oh my god Gio, we can spend the day together! There's so much we can do!" "There sure is" he replied, looking at Betty suggestively and pulling her closer. Kissing her lightly and savoring every moment, he then told her, "I've missed you so much B", "Well I've missed you more!" was all that Betty said before she swiftly moved to straddle him. She looked down at him; a cheeky grin appeared on her face before she swooped down and started kissing him with such force and urgency. Gio returned the lust with just as much, if not more, energy and passion. In between the fierce kisses and perforated breathing, clothes were removed and thrown to the floor. Their longing for one another was soon enough satisfied, thoroughly.

"So…explorer, what are our plans for today?" Gio asked whilst stroking Betty's arm gently up and down. With her head resting on his arm and shoulder, and circling one of Gio's hardened nipples gently with her nails, she replied, "Well, I was thinking we could go for a picnic in the park with a walk afterwards and then maybe go out for dinner. What do you think?" "Sounds wonderful, but one thing babe...Yeah?...You're tempting me with what you're doing and if you don't stop, we're going to have to skip lunch AND dinner…Oh! Ok then!!" Betty said laughing. As she was sitting herself up, she flicked her tongue from his belly button to his chest, finally giving him a devilish kiss on the lips. Pulling away, she flashed him a mischievous smile and quickly ran into the bathroom to get ready.

Gio stayed in the bed a little bit longer, just to gather his thoughts. _'Today's the day' _he told himself. With the amount of work that they both have been putting in the past few months, they had neglected their own relationship. Psyching himself up for the day, he pushed the covers away, put some clothes on then carried on to the kitchen to put together a hamper for their picnic in the park.

Betty took her time getting ready in the bathroom. She wanted to look beautiful for Gio. They had hardly seen each other which meant they rarely spent time together like how they used to. Today was going to be a different day. Leaving the en suite and reentering the bedroom, Betty went to her wardrobe and picked out a flowing floral dress to compliment the sunny weather outside. Applying the final touches to her outfit and putting on a white cardigan, Betty left the bedroom to find Gio in the kitchen.

"Aren't you going to get ready?" Betty questioned. "Only one of us can be in the bathroom B" said Gio, "Well, you could've joined me y'know?" she flirted back. "Believe me! I thought about that, but once again sweetie, if we did that, then we'd have to cancel all plans for the day! We'll do that another day, there's plenty of time for that type of fun!" Gio said winking provocatively. Betty walked over to Gio, kissed him on his cheek and told him to get ready whilst she finished packing the basket.

Emerging from the shower, Gio was lost in his thoughts with his plans for the day and didn't notice Betty sitting on the closed toilet seat. Startled and worried he questioned, "B! Are you alright?" "Yeah I'm fine! Your phone rang, so I answered it. It was the main deli, they said they needed you for something but wouldn't say any more. If you have to go, that's not a problem, we've still got our dinner plans. I've made reservations at the Pemberley Inn." Trying not to sound upset by the possibility of their plans being cancelled, Betty was taken aback by Gio's defensive response. "Of course it's a problem. I'm spending the day with my sweetheart and that's that! I'll see what they wanted but I'm not ruining our day." "Ohh thanks hunnie. That means so much to me…to us!" Betty was over the moon that Gio wanted to spend the day with her and give up work for once. She left the bathroom, so he could get dressed, and went to the dining room, turning on her notebook, she couldn't help herself but do something work related and check her emails.

Gio closed the bedroom door and got dressed. As soon as he was ready, he called the deli back, fixed their minor issue and told them to only call him if it was a real emergency because he was busy for the rest of the day. He hung up and made another phone call. After ending the call, he put his phone in his pocket, then checked them for everything else he needed – car keys, wallet and a little velvet box.

Betty looked up when she heard the bedroom door open. _'Phoaaar…man does he look delicious'_ Betty's imagination went into overdrive when she saw Gio walk into the living area. "Hey spunk! Are we ready to go?" "Yep, we sure are" he said, grabbing the picnic basket and waiting for Betty to join him at the front door.

----

Parking the van and getting out, Gio grabbed the picnic basket with one hand, locked the van then held Betty's hand with the other. They walked off to find a good spot to set up their lunch.

After finding the perfect spot, under the warm sun with a little bit of shade, they laid out the blanket and sat down. Emptying the basket, Gio placed the sandwiches on a plate while Betty poured some juice for them to drink.

Enjoying the sun, eating, talking and drinking, time was flying by. Laughter filled the air for most of the meal as well as quick kisses every now and then. Betty was so delighted she could spend the day with Gio. She missed the times when they used spend every possible minute with each other. Gio knew it had to be true, _'absence makes the heart grow fonder'_, he felt as though he was falling all over again and a lot deeper in love with Betty. _'Today is definitely the day,'_ he thought to himself again.

Finally, looking at the time, Betty then suggested that they get going for a quick walk before they go out for dinner. Holding hands they walked around the park for an hour before returning to the van.

----

The drive to the Pemberley was enjoyable, singing out of tune and laughing til their stomach's hurt. Soon enough they arrived at their destination. Parking the van a couple of blocks away, they walked to the restaurant in the relaxing early evening breeze. After a few minutes, they reached the entrance to the restaurant, recognizing Betty, the maître d' checked the reservation book and led them to their table on the front verandah.

After helping Betty into her chair before sitting down also, Gio leant across the table and held Betty's hands for a few minutes. Time stood still and no one else existed in the world as they gazed deeply into each other's eyes for those moments. "Ahem…are you ready to order?" Interrupted the waiter; breaking the trance between the two lovers. "Ahh…yeah sure…we'll place our order" replied Gio. Once they had ordered their main courses, wine and dessert for the evening, the waiter walked away from the table leaving them alone.

The conversations and laughter kept flowing between them as their meals were served and empty dishes taken away. Finally, their desserts were served and the last two glasses of wine were poured before the bottle was taken away. Raising his glass, Gio toasted, "To my darling, to us and our future together," Betty replied, "To us." Their glasses chinked and they each took a sip from their flute. Quickly swallowing, Gio put his glass down and slid down to face Betty. Kneeling on one knee, he withdrew the velvet box from his pocket, opened it and revealed a stunning ring. "Betty, I love you with all my heart. What do you say? Will you be mine forever, officially, Ms Suarez?" he questioned. "Yes! Yes! Yes!" Betty squealed whilst jumping excitedly in her seat. Slipping the ring on her finger and cupping her face, they kissed tenderly as onlookers clapped and whistled. When they parted, Gio sat down and they continued with their dessert. Gio ordered another bottle of wine and they celebrated the night away.


	9. Celebrations

IX – _'Celebrations_

The drive home from the restaurant was magical. A horse drawn carriage wasn't necessary; Betty's fantasy was coming true right before her very eyes with the man she couldn't imagine living without. Gio was thrilled that Betty said yes; he was sure she would have, but knowing Betty, he didn't know if she'd avoid the situation or make it awkward. Thankfully, she accepted in a heartbeat and with the biggest smile he's ever seen on her face.

Arriving back at the apartment, Gio opened the door to let Betty in. Stepping inside, she was immediately confronted with the smell of a fresh garden. Looking around the living area, she found she was gazing at bunches upon bunches of different flowers. Vases of roses, gardenias, lilies and lots of decorative flowers, were overflowing. Following behind Betty, Gio was watching her reaction very closely, knowing she had no idea, made the surprise even more thrilling. Betty turned around and leaped into Gio's arms. Catching and swinging her around, she kissed him sweetly and hugged his neck tightly. "When did you organize this? How did you do this?" Questions kept coming from Betty, who was soon silenced by Gio placing his finger in front of her mouth. "Shh, I made a couple of phone calls this morning and arranged it all." Betty's facial expression changed instantly, she had fallen in love all over again. Giving a surprise of her own, with Gio's finger still in front of her lips, she looked down at them then back up to Gio before enveloping them with her lips. Mimicking actions that would get his heart pacing, she then licked her lips seductively and dragged him to the bedroom.

Kissing with such fervor when they reached the bedroom, Gio was not able to keep his hands off her. Pulling her close to him, he put his arms around her. Tugging at her cardigan, she shrugged it off, allowing it to fall to the floor. He also let his leather jacket fall off his shoulders. Returning his hands to rest on her back, her hands assumed the positions around his neck and amongst his hair. He then started to undo the zip on the back of her dress. Hugging her curves perfectly, Gio had other plans for this dress. "B, I must confess, you're amazing in this dress and my thoughts haven't been pure at all today," giving Betty a mischievous smirk, he finally undid her dress and pushed it off her frame, letting it drop to the ground. Left standing in her underwear and a pair of heels, Betty raised her eyebrow and starting undoing his shirt. Lowering herself as she went further down his torso, she finished opening his shirt and reached his belt buckle. Gio removed his shirt and continued to watch Betty. She was now in the process of undoing his fly but before she could remove his pants, he grabbed her arms and pulled her back up to his eye level. Looking deeply into her eyes, he kissed with all the passion that he could muster. Walking her backwards, he managed to kick off his shoes and drop his pants, revealing a pair of satin boxers. Reaching the edge of the bed, Gio gently laid Betty back; she then wriggled her shoes off her feet and let them drop with a thud. Sliding up the bed, Gio met a Betty he never knew existed, but was glad he met. There was a passion in her eyes that he had never seen or experienced before. In between kisses, Betty breathlessly whispered, "I love you so much Gio" he then replied with "I love you more than you can imagine." Their lovemaking continued throughout the night.

Waking up the next morning startled, Betty woke up Gio; "We have to tell everyone! We've got a party to organize, O-EM-GEE! We've got a wedding to plan!" Chuckling, he pulled her into a warm hug and kissed her forehead, "There's plenty of time to arrange everything sweetie, we'll take it one day at a time. But call your family and tell them the wonderful news." "Ahh Gio, Papi will be fine with it won't he? You remember what he was like when we decided to go to Italy – the first thing he thought of was the sleeping arrangements!" Laughing harder, he replied, "Betty, we live together, everyone knows that things are going on between us! Besides, I already spoke to your father and asked for your hand; so he'll be thrilled to know that I finally asked you!" "Ohh Gio! You've already asked?! Have I told you how much I love you? Thank you for asking my Papi, that means a lot to everyone." "I know B, I wanted everything to be perfect and done the right way and the traditional way."

They snuggled once more then got out of bed. Walking out into the living room, Betty was faced with the room of flowers again. Inhaling all the smells, Betty closed her eyes and danced on her tip toes to the phone. Grabbing the phone, she dialed her old number, Justin answered.

"Hi Justin, it's Aunt Betty. Is everyone awake?" "Yeah, they are…hold on this sounds like a speakerphone moment" "Yeah put me on speaker!" "Good morning Betty!" "Morning everyone! So how is everyone?..."

As the conversation continued, Gio started making breakfast, first making the coffee. Grabbing two mugs he walked over to where Betty was, putting her mug down on the table. Holding his in one hand, and Betty's waist in the other, he joined their hips together and kissed her temple.

"Everyone, we have an announcement to make!!" "Omigod! You're pregnant!" "Shut up Justin! Betty are you pregnant?!" Hilda chided. Gio cut in saying, "No, not yet!" Giving him a deathly glare, Betty continued and said, "No everyone, Gio proposed last night and I said YES! We're getting married!!" "Oooooh Betty! This is so exciting!" "Congratulations mija and well done Gio. I was beginning to wonder if you got cold feet after we spoke." "Of course not, I was just waiting for the perfect moment." "Ahh Papi it couldn't have been more perfect, you should see the living room right now, there's flowers everywhere and the ring is stunning! We must all celebrate tonight!"

After making plans for a family celebration that night, they finally ended the phone call. Putting the phone down, Betty hugged Gio and nuzzled in his chest. Looking up at him, she couldn't help herself but start suggesting wedding ideas.

----

Later that evening Betty and Gio arrived at her old home. Greeted at the front door with hugs and kisses all round, they finally entered the house. Ignacio shook Gio's hand then pulled him into a hug, patting him on the back saying, "You've always been like a son and part of this family, and soon you really will become part of this family – then start a family of your own. I am so happy for both of you."

Celebrations continued throughout the evening. Betty and Hilda spoke all night about ideas for the wedding; from what type of dresses and hairstyles to venues. This was exciting for everyone involved. None of them actually thought Betty would get married, that was until they met Gio and welcomed him into their family.


	10. What The Future Holds

X – _'What the Future Holds'_

**One year later...**

**"Today's the day Betty!" said Gio looking into Betty's eyes. Waking up to his face is all that she had been dreaming of for the past three years and soon, it was going to be official. He was going to be her husband and father ****to**** their future children.**

**Kissing him on the lips, Betty**** got out of bed and said, "Alright, well that means, I will see you later...at the altar!" Gio got out and joined her in the centre of the room, "Hmm, but I want you now!" he growled huskily in her ear before clasping one of her hands and putting the**** other around her waist, slow dancing where they were****. Moving rhythmically together, Betty put her head on his shoulder, ****that was until**** he spun her out and pulled her back in. Placing a forceful kiss on her lips, he then dropped his grip and grabbed his clothes. "Oh! You can't leave me hanging like that!" Betty yelled out as he ****dashed off**** towards to the bathroom. "Oh yes I can..." he said sticking his head out from behind the en suite door, "...besides, you were the one that said you'll see me at the altar after teasing me with that kiss before!" He then closed the door after ****making a face and ****stic****king his tongue out. Betty ****shook her head and started to gather the things that she was going to need for the day.**

Walking into the living area, Gio saw Betty still in her night clothes. "Aren't you getting ready?" "Not yet! You can't see me before the wedding! Besides, Hilda and Christina will be here soon." "I know, I'm just teasing you sweetie! I'm going to get going now. I cannot wait to see you later though; you're going to look absolutely stunning!"

Gio left the apartment after giving Betty one final kiss. As he was walking into the foyer, he bumped into Hilda and Christina. "Hey girls! Betty's in the dining area. Have fun and I'll see you guys later."

----

The church filled quickly, family and friends piling into the pews wanting to get the best view. Looking around, Gio couldn't believe how beautiful the church looked; it was decorated with such detail. Feelings were flying throughout his body, his thoughts were soaring through his mind; he was about to marry the girl of his dreams. He would soon enough become a father and have a family of his own. He couldn't wait. The dimple on his face became even more noticeable as he smiled the biggest smile yet.

Music blared out of the speakers and everyone turned around to watch the doors of the church open. Taking a couple of deep breaths, Gio then spun around to await the arrival of his bride. Fidgeting with his thumbs nervously, he waited for what felt like an eternity, but as soon as Betty walked through the doors, it was all worth it. His breath got caught in his throat and his heart stopped for a split second. _'Wow! I am the luckiest man in the world'_ he thought to himself. The smile that was on his face just a few moments ago returned, bigger and brighter; his nervousness disappeared in an instant.

'_Omigod. Look at him, he's so handsome. He's going to make the best husband and father...' _Betty thought to herself as she headed towards the altar. Looking him up and down, she couldn't help but notice that he filled out his tuxedo nicely. Finally, laying her eyes on his dimple, she felt a sudden surge of electricity going through her body; _'Oh man, that dimple makes me weak at the knees. Compose yourself Betty! Just make it to the altar then he's yours forever.'_

Reaching the altar, they couldn't contain their excitement about the moments soon to follow. "We're actually here Betty!...I know! And I can't wait Gio" Turning to face the priest, they were ready to begin the ceremony.

"...do you Giovanni Rossi take Betty Suarez to be your wife...?" "I do."  
"and do you Betty Suarez take Giovanni Rossi to be your husband...?" "I do."  
"...you may now kiss the bride..."

Screams and whistled filled the church as their lips met. Kissing her softly, Gio felt his life was now complete – for the moment. Nothing could ruin this; he was now officially the happiest man in the world.

Feeling Gio's lips against hers, Betty couldn't help but press into his lips with a little more pressure. She didn't care that everyone was watching, she wanted to pour every feeling of happiness she had into the moment.

Pulling out of the kiss, they rested their foreheads together and stared into each other's eyes. Savouring a moment of total bliss, their faces had smiles plastered from ear to ear. Gio noticed a shiny tear drop flowing from Betty's eye; cupping her face with both hands, he wiped away the tear with his thumb, then gave her a quick peck. "Babe, you're so beautiful. I love you so much." "You're not too bad yourself, y'know?!" "Yeah I know!" Cocking his eyebrow and sticking out his elbow for Betty to link her arm through, he whisked her down the aisle towards the exit.

Reaching the top of the church stairs and taking each one with a bounce, they were greeted by everyone's cheers and confetti being thrown. They made their way to the stretch limo, which was waiting to take them to their reception. Before entering the car, they paused to pose in front of the door for some photos and people's well wishes.

The car door finally closed with a thud as they tumbled into the car. Getting comfortable, Gio put his arm around Betty and pulled her close to him. "B, we did it! It's finally official. You're my one and only as I am yours." "Oh Gio, I can't wait til we start our life together, as explorers, exploring family life together! You're going to make a wonderful father some day and so I'm proud to be able to call you my husband!" Cuddling him back, Betty looked up and kissed Gio softly. Supporting her head, he deepened their kiss. Betty started kissing back with a passionate fire causing Gio to groan from sexual frustration before pulling away. "Hold up there! We have to keep our energy for later Mrs Rossi!" "Ahh, r-i-g-h-t, for our own little after party!" Betty said winking seductively.

----

Arriving at their destination, Gio helped Betty out of the car, holding hands as they walked into the venue. Once again, they were welcomed by applauses and cheers. Overwhelmed by the day's events and everyone's praise, Betty went slightly red in the cheeks and sought refuge in Gio's shoulder; wrapping his arm around her shoulder he hugged her tightly. Finally peeling her off his chest, he kissed her temple and rubbed her arms up and down. "Come on Suarez, this is our party! Let's celebrate!" "You can't call me Suarez anymore! It's now ROSSI!" Biting his bottom lip, his face lit up with such joy, he grabbed Betty by the hand and dragged her onto the dance floor. Here, they danced the first night of their lives together in front of the people who cared about them the most; however, no one cared for them, as much as they did for one another.


End file.
